Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Aitken and Jones (attending for agenda item 8 – Safeguarding Policy and Performance Advisory Committee) and Helena Kania (Local Involvement Network (LINks) Co-optee).

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business. (Late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New items will be dealt with at item 11 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with at item below).

There was no urgent business.

A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter if the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgment of the public interest and if this interest affects their financial position or the financial position of a person or body as described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct and/or if it relates to the determining of any approval, consent, licence, permission or registration in relation to them or any person or body described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct.

Councillor Toni Mallett declared a personal interest in agenda item 8 – Safeguarding Policy and Performance Advisory Committee – as she was a member of the Advisory Committee.

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the Council’s constitution.

There were no such items.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd December 2009.

The minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd December 2009 were confirmed as a correct record of the meeting.

RESOLVED that the order of agenda be varied to accommodate those in attendance.  The order in which items appear in the minutes will remain the same as on the agenda.

To consider and note an update report on the progress of Haringey Safeguarding Plan including feedback on the recent OFSTED visit.

The Committee received the report on the Safeguarding Plan for Haringey, introduced by Peter Lewis, Director of Children & Young People’s Service (CYPS) and noted that nearly all but two (1.19 and 1.20 – page 23) milestones had been achieved.

Milestone 1.19 – Agree, implement and train staff on a Critical Incident De-briefing model within organisations and across multi-disciplinary teams – this was rated red although partners were working together to achieve this.

Milestone 1.20 – All Appropriate staff attend Safeguarding Induction Programme – the Council was slightly behind schedule on this milestone, which would be completed in the next two months.

The Committee asked that more detail be provided on the priorities for further improvement in safeguarding and requested an update on progress for milestone 2.12 (Analyse cross-partnership training needs in management, supervision and safeguarding and develop a programme of training). 

The Committee noted the progress report from Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors who visited the Council in January 2010 and that the Council was given an overall judgement of “good” and was considered to be improving at an “appropriate pace” with the efforts of staff being recognised.  The Committee thanked staff for their hard work.

The Committee asked what was being done to reduce the large number of agency staff and noted that the First Response Team would see a decrease in agency workers in the forthcoming year as it had been overstaffed in the past year, this will enable temporary staff to apply for permanent vacancies in the Council.  High numbers of agency staff was a London-wide issue for Children’s Services but Haringey salaries were comparable with competitors.  The Council was taking part in a national recruitment event in May 2010.

Committee Members expressed concerns at the sickness rates in the Service and it was requested that in future these were provided with a more detailed breakdown including long-term and short-term sickness and some commentary to show that rates were not an indicator of problems within the service. The Committee also expressed concerns that sickness targets of 8.5 days were unrealistic. The Director CYPS explained that he would report back to the Committee when he had discussed the possibility of reducing the Service¹s sickness targets with the Human Resources Departments.

Jane Elias, Great Ormond Street Hospital, informed the Committee that the health visitor service currently had only 6 vacancies for health visitors. Targeted focus was on vulnerable and disabled children but the service would cover more areas in future.  At present every family received a visit when a child is new-born, every family had access to weigh-in services although this was conducted by health visitor assistants with a health visitor present and all families had access to further advice and support. 

Some Committee Members highlighted individual cases and expressed concerns that today¹s reduced Health Visitor service was not adequate in safeguarding children.  The Director CYPS suggested providing Members with a report showing how the Council met the needs of families and was properly safeguarding including the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

To consider and note the report on the work of the Member’s Safeguarding Policy and Performance Panel.

Clerk’s note:  19:35 hrs – Councillor Bull  left the room and the meeting was chaired by the Vice-Chair, Councillor Adamou.

The Committee received the report from the Children’s Safeguarding Policy and Performance Advisory Committee, introduced by Hilary Corrick , Independent Social Work Consultant, and Independent Member of Safeguarding Policy & Performance Advisory Committee.  It was noted that the Advisory Committee had been scrutinising Haringey cases and would continue in its work for the foreseeable future.

The Committee noted that an Annual Child Protection Conference would be held on September 2010, led by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.

The Committee asked what would happen in the case of a vulnerable child who had no recourse to public funds and noted that such cases would be closely supported by dedicated teams within the First Response Team.

Clerk’s note:  19:40 hrs – Councillor Bull returned to the meeting and resumed as Chair of the meeting.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

To consider and note the report on child protection performance.

The Committee received the update report on key performance issues in child protection, introduced by Mark Gurrey, Deputy Director – C&F

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

To consider and note the report providing background details on NI59 (initial assessments completed within 7 days) performance issues.

The Committee received the report on National Indicator (NI) – Initial Assessments Completed in 7 Days introduced by Mark Gurrey, Deputy Director C&F who emphasised that whilst timeliness was important the issue of the quality of assessments was paramount in some more complex cases.

The Chair would ask the Cabinet Member for Children & Young People to keep the Committee informed of the judgements by the Independent Auditors on Initial and Core Assessments. 

The Deputy Director Children & Families would provide links to the procedures for assessments followed by the Council.

RESOLVED  that the report be noted.

There were no new items of urgent business.

To be confirmed.

The next meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee will be on Monday 15^th March 2010, 6.00pm at the Civic Centre.